Elliot grabbed the piece of bread and took a bite before turning his attention to Ivy and Robert. "It's cold out here. Go inside the tent.""Dad, we aren't cold. Is Layla on top of that mountain?" Robert gazed up at the rescue team on the mountain."Yeah, she's up there," Hayden said. "Robert, take your sister into the tent."Robert obeyed and grabbed Ivy's hand."Hayden, Dad, I'm not cold," Ivy said, wanting to see Layla as soon as she was rescued.Despite what Ivy said, Robert dragged her into the tent."Ivy, have you noticed all the gray hair on Dad's head?" Robert had a clear view when he stood next to Elliot. "He didn't use to have so much gray hair. It's as though his hair turned gray overnight after hearing what happened to Layla."Ivy had not been paying attention to her father's hair."I did notice that they seemed to have aged overnight," she said, tears welling in her eyes. "I used to think that they looked really young, and it felt like they would never age...""It
The bag in Avery's hand fell onto the ground.Hayden's voice grew even louder than before. "Is Layla there?! Layla should be with him!"The rescue team carefully moved Eric out of the way and found Layla further inside."We found her! Mr. Tate, we found your sister!" One of the members of the rescue team shouted excitedly and stretched his arm out to see if Layla was breathing.The temperature on the mountain was below zero, and though Layla's cheeks were cold, her neck remained warm, but since the rescuer's hand was trembling, he could not tell with certainty if Layla was breathing.Even if she was breathing, her breath was extremely weak."Mr. Tate... I am not sure if she's still alive!""Get them down first!" Hayden shouted, desperately wishing that he could climb up the mountain himself, but he could not.He did not love outdoor activities and was never good at them, so he simply grabbed a pair of binoculars from his assistant to monitor the situation. After a few moments,
Ivy's words ignited hope within Avery.If a doctor determined that a patient was dead, they would not make any effort to save said patient. If one lost the ability to breathe air independently, and their pupils were dilated, there was no point in treating them. Just then, Hayden's phone beeped. Mike had sent him some photos. Mike went up with the rescue team to search for Layla, and he took a few photos of the scene when they found Layla and Eric. Since Mike had headed down the mountain, he finally had the chance to send Hayden the photos.Hayden zoomed in on the first photo and saw Eric's cheeks were blue and he was wearing nothing but a thin layer of clothes. "He couldn't have gone up to the mountain wearing just that…" Hayden thought and immediately clicked on the second photo of Layla.Layla seemed to be in far better condition compared to Eric, and it looked as though she was merely asleep. She was wrapped in a male down jacket, which Hayden assumed belonged to Eric.H
"Dad, I will stay with Mom!" Ivy moved a chair so that she could sit next to the bed. She saw the tears still rolling down Avery's cheeks and knew that Avery must be regretting not supporting Layla in her pursuit of Eric.Had they agreed to the relationship, Layla and Eric might be planning their wedding by now. They would not have come all the way to Cambrode, and neither would they have been on that mountain when the avalanche occurred. Elliot let go of Avery's hand. "Let me know when your mother wakes up.""Of course," she said obediently. "Let me know when Layla comes out of the emergency room.""Sure."Time went by slowly, and Ivy started to doze off after she dried Avery's tears.Many thoughts drifted through her mind, but they flitted by so quickly that she should not grasp onto any one particular thought. In the end, she only focused on how much she wanted Layla and Eric to wake up.If Layla woke up to find out that Eric had died, both Avery and Layla would be trau
Ivy opened her eyes and found herself on a bed and saw Robert next to her. "Robert. Robert! Why am I sleeping here? Where is Mom? What time is it?""It's nine. You were probably exhausted from watching over Mom and fell asleep next to her last night," Robert said. "So I booked another room for you to sleep in.""Has Mom woken up?" Ivy sat up, feeling more energized after sleeping. As soon as she mentioned her mother, she was reminded of Eric and Layla. "What about Layla and Uncle Eric? How are they?""Layla has stabilized but hasn't woken up. As for Uncle Eric... he isn't dead but is still in critical condition. The hospital does not have the ability to treat him… so Hayden has arranged for him to be sent to Bridgedale, and he accompanied Uncle Eric. Uncle Eric saved Layla's life, after all, so I'm sure Hayden is desperately trying to help Uncle Eric as well..."Ivy sighed a breath of relief, feeling glad that the two of them were alive."Mom woke up at seven this morning and went
Tears instantly rolled down her cheek and it was a while before she could make a sound. "Don't cry, Honey. Eric isn't dead. He is alive for now." Avery immediately grabbed Layla's hand. "I know that you are in shock now, but it's all over now. It's in the past."Layla held onto her mother's hand, unable to stop her tears.Elliot walked over and wiped away her tears. "Don't cry, Layla. We are doing everything we can to save Eric. You are not to blame for this, so don't you blame yourself. Don't feel guilty about this." Despite his effort, Layla's tears simply kept falling."I was the one... who got him into this..." Layla pushed Elliot's hand away. "If only I hadn't called him here, he wouldn't be in this... Mom, Dad, I killed him..."Elliot and Avery stood by the bed, not knowing what to say when they saw how heartbroken their daughter was because they knew that nothing they said could convince Layla that what happened to Eric was not her fault.They understood how she had reach
"Dad, can I go in to stay with Layla?" Ivy wanted to be there the moment Layla woke up. Elliot nodded. "Ivy, your mother thinks that we are in the wrong. If only we had agreed to them dating, they would have never ended up here, nor would they have been in the disaster…""No one is wrong here, Dad," Ivy said. "If everyone can predict what happens next, there will be no accidents or disasters."Elliot was comforted by her words."Dad, it's your responsibility to guide us and help us make the right decisions, and even if you have it wrong sometimes, we won't blame you because no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. You are a great father to me, Dad."Elliot pulled her into his arms. "Ivy, I'm so grateful for how understanding you are.""Dad, Layla won't be mad at you either," Ivy said confidently. "She told me that she loves you and Mom a lot, so don't beat yourself up.""Okay. Go in!" Elliot let her go. "Once Layla wakes up, you can chat with her for a bit if she is up to it
Toward the end, Layla was sobbing so hard that she could no longer speak, and Ivy immediately wiped away her tears with a tissue. "Don't cry, Layla. You are both fine... you are both alive! You will soon be discharged, and Uncle Eric is going to get better," Ivy said. "This kind of disaster won't happen again. Once Uncle Eric gets better, our parents won't be opposed to the idea of you marrying him anymore.""Ivy, I don't think he's in that good a state..." Layla had been with Eric the entire time, and she knew how close to death Eric was. "He gave me his jacket and was only wearing a really thin sweater. It was so cold, and he was wearing so little. He never intended to survive and told me that it would take some time for rescue to come, so I needed to survive until then..."Ivy started sobbing as well. "Layla, I thought that Uncle Eric was a great person, but after what happened, I realize he is so much more than that. He has a tender heart and a beautiful soul. Once he recovers,